“…There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel’s, But he shall receive an hundredfold…” (Mark 10:29,30).
TEXT — Mark 10:28-34
Message
Many people who achieved outstanding success had to sacrifice something precious to gain what is far more valuable. Grant Cardone, a top sales expert and author of a New York Times best-selling Be Obsessed or Be Average sacrificed his love for golf to build a 500-million-dollar real estate outfit. Before 2008, he played golf three times a week. Then, he said, “I decided to master my work and money; if my golf game or social status suffered, so be it. It’s OK to sacrifice fun today for freedom tomorrow. I sacrifice every day, doing the things I might not want to do, but doing them anyway for a better future.”
Grant’s decision and choice reflect the sacrifice Christ’s disciples are called to make to obtain more valuable and durable rewards in eternity. In today’s passage, Peter, referring to Christ’s encounter with the rich young ruler, reminds Jesus that he and the other disciples have met the condition for discipleship. They left all and followed Him; what then would be their gain? Jesus reassured them that they would be rewarded here and in heaven. However, He added a warning that although the reward would be in multiple folds, it would come with persecutions, and the first would be the last and the last first.
Christ assures us that we will be rewarded for our sacrifices, but he also corrects our misguided view of discipleship. Many, like Peter and the disciples, see it as a transaction with God, expecting returns on their investments. Instead, we should view our sacrifices as a small token of appreciation for the blessings we have received. Our focus should not be on earthly rewards or feeling entitled, but rather on gaining Christ and the eternal reward that comes with following Him.
Given that reward in God’s kingdom is not based on position, rank, or how long one has been in service but on commitment and faithfulness, disciples who set their hearts on earthly reward, expecting they would be first, are in danger of becoming last (Matthew 19:27-30; 20:1-16). The bottom line is that following Christ often involves hardship and sacrifice, ultimately leading to eternal life.
Thought for the day
No sacrifice to the cause of God returns as a loss.
Listed among “500 most powerful people on the planet” by the Foreign Policy magazine in 2013, Pastor (Dr.) William F. Kumuyi is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry (DCLM) headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria. DCLM started in 1973 as a 15-member Bible study group right in Kumuyi’s apartment at University of Lagos where he was a lecturer. His revolutionary Bible teaching on personal holiness and commitment to evangelism soon gained so much traction and resulted in a widespread revival.
